The Malaysia Tourism Ministry is expecting some 20 million tourists for all of 2009, which is a 9.3 percent drop from the 2008 figure of 22.05 million. The total includes both domestic and international travelers and represents the effects of the worldwide economic slowdown. Due to that situation, the Ministry expects to focus more on domestic tourism in the coming year.

Minister Azalina Othman Said indicated that her department estimates there will be some 40 million hotel night stays for all of 2009 from domestic travelers. The minister was speaking in Kuala Lumpur, kicking off the “Jingle Dan Kuiz" programme Zoom Malaysia," which hopes to lure more Malaysians to travel within the country.

“We want to focus on better maintenance of our current tourism products. Plus, this stimulus package will also focus on our three niche markets which are meetings, incentives, conventions and events (Mice), Malaysia My Second Home and medical tourism," noted the minister.